


Happy Birthday!

by BlueCoke



Category: The Walking Dead (Telltale Video Game)
Genre: Birthday, First Kiss, Fluff, Fluffy Ending, M/M, Rich Louis
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-09
Updated: 2019-02-09
Packaged: 2019-10-24 22:54:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,913
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17713211
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlueCoke/pseuds/BlueCoke
Summary: James's 16th Birthday has one special surprise in the form of a rich, loudmouth pianist.





	Happy Birthday!

**Author's Note:**

> I love fluff. And birthdays. And I need to procrastinate. Leave a comment, kudos, whatever idk.

**8:48 AM**

It was a Sunday morning in Athens, Georgia. Golden morning rays of sun poured through the windows of one of the bedrooms in the Everett house. The rays hit James’s face, causing him to awaken and turn over in his bed. When he turned over, he noticed a card on his night table with “ _James”_ written on it in his adopted father’s handwriting. 

_     Happy Birthday James! _

_     It’s crazy to think that you’re 16 years old already. Kids these days are growing like weeds! I’m so proud of you and I could never have dreamed you’d turn into such a good kid. And also, I’m so proud that you had the courage to tell me something that most other kids like you couldn’t. As your father, it’s my duty to love and support, no matter of who you love. When you wake up and see this, I’ll probably already be in the kitchen, so come out here whenever you’re ready, Clem and I have a couple of surprises for you ;) _

_                    Love, _

_                              Dad _

**** James smiled from ear to ear as he read the card. He was adopted at an early age, but he had felt more love from Lee than he had seen some kids get from both of their biological parents. He cooked, cleaned, worked, drove, and went above and beyond to provide for him and his sister, Clementine. He had relied on Lee’s love and advice during the tumultuous times in his life. He wasn’t exactly the most well-like student in school because of how different he was, and kids his age were ruthless and mean.

    Having a great sister helped too. Clementine was also adopted by Lee. She was a remarkable student, captain of the softball team, and was a part of more than a few afterschool programs for LGBT youth and counseling. She was bisexual herself and was nothing but loving and supportive of her brother. She even introduced him to one of her friends, Louis. James and Louis definitely hit it off when they first met and would light up whenever they saw each other. Lee and Clem were the two kindest people he knew. James’s heart felt warm just thinking about it, he couldn’t have asked to be a part of a better family. 

    James got up from his bed and looked in the mirror on his closet door. His hair was comically unkempt in the morning, and today was no exception. He decided he better take a shower and look nice for his big day. He walked into his bathroom and turned the shower on, deciding to brush his teeth while the water warmed up.

     In the living room, Clem was wrapped up with texting her friend Louis. Lee and Clem both heard the shower turn on and realized it would be awhile before James would be ready. Lee took a break from buttering french toast to talk to Clementine.

“Hey, sweet pea.” He said warmly. 

“What’s up, Lee?” she responded, looking up from her phone and smiling brightly.

“You excited today?” The older man asked.

“Of course! James deserves to be happy today. He has to go through a lot of shit at school and he needs a day to be himself. Plus, I’ve got a special surprise coming his way.” She explained.

“Hmm, sounds nice. Glad you’re takin’ care of your brother today.” He said before returning to preparing James’s favorite breakfast.

    As Lee was pouring syrup, James walked out of his room, drying his jet black hair with a towel. He was wearing a fairly modest outfit for his birthday, sweatpants, an Ericson Eagles baseball shirt, and a pair of converse. James’s eyes lit up when he saw the french toast sitting on the counter. 

“Eat up. Now I know i haven’t made it in a while, but I remember how much you love my world famous Everett French Toast.” Lee said proudly.

“Thanks Dad.” James said, right before wolfing down his breakfast in record time.

    As James was licking his fingers, Clem pulled a small box from out under the coffee table. It was rectangular and wrapped in newspaper, which was Lee’s trademark. James took a seat on the couch and Clem handed the gift to him.

From: _ Dad _

To:  _ Zombie Boy _

    James had a good idea of what it was. He unwrapped it and his eyes lit up. In the box was a  _ Stranger Things _ Will Byers Funko Pop figurine. James turned to his adopted father, who was beaming with pride. He got up from the couch and hugged his father tightly. 

“Hey you got a lotta gifts still coming, don’t waste all your hugs at once, okay?” Lee said.

James pulled away, the smile never leaving his face. Clem pulled another gift out from behind her. This one was obviously a poster, with galaxy print wrapping paper. Clem handed him the gift.

_ From: Ziggy Stardust _

_ To: The Man Who Sold The World _

    James immediately knew the reference and smirked at Clem, who gestured for him to open it. He carefully removed the wrapping paper that he liked, and took the poster from its tube. Clem held the other side as he folded out an original Diamond Dogs album poster, a SIGNED original Diamond Dogs album poster. James’s skin paled. He pulled Clem into a fierce bear hug and screamed in excitement into her shoulder, which knocked the wind out of her. He pulled back to look at her.

“How did you get this?!?” He asked incredulously. Clem smiled and looked down. 

“Well, Louis’s parents are huge music connoisseurs. They gave it to him and I maybe might of convinced that he should give it to you.” James hugged her again. “Thank you, Clem. This is amazing.” He said. 

    “Actually, your sister has another surprise for you.” Lee said, signaling to Clem to show James what she had in mind. Clem looked back at him, checked her watch, and then grinned.

“Yeah James, I think you’re really gonna like this one.” At that moment, the doorbell rang.

James went to open the door, looking back at his family with a skeptical, yet amused look on his face. He slowly opened the door and peeked his head out. Standing on his doorstep was Louis, with an impossibly pretty smile on his face.  “Happy Birthday King James!” He said in a sing-song voice. James’s heart fluttered at the nickname the boy gave him. He had no idea why, but whenever Louis was around, he seemed to feel so good. He didn’t care about what people said about him or what they would do. All he was focused on was the other boy’s jokes, his songs, his voice, and his smile. God...his smile.

“Oh, uhm, thanks.” James responded, obviously flustered. 

“I have some stuff for you out here, come on.” Louis said as he beckoned James out into the driveway. James walked out and could’ve sworn that he was dreaming. There were 2 cars, a cherry red Cadillac convertible, and a rusted blue pickup with Marlon sitting in on the hood, both filled to the brim with an assortment of presents. “I managed to fit about half of the presents in my car but I had to have Marlon help get the rest in his pickup.” Louis explained. 

“Happy Birthday bro” Marlon said, curling half of his mouth up into a smile.

“T...tha…” James tried to say, but couldn’t piece together the proper syllables to make a proper ‘thank you’. Clem and Lee walked up shortly after, both of which were also dumbfounded by the sheer amount of gifts that Louis had bought.  “Are we even gonna have time to get through that stuff before dinner?” Lee asked.

“Dad, we still have 8 hours then.” Clem informed him.

“I know.” He responded, still not taking his eyes off the unreal pile of gifts in the bed of the pickup.

“Alright, let’s get this stuff inside.” Louis said, clasping his hands together.

 

**11:20 AM**

 

    James was overwhelmed by the amount of gifts the freckled boy had brought over. So far he had received enough clothes to fill his closet 3 times over, A new phone, 3 pairs of new shoes, a skateboard, and top-tier drawing supplies. And judging by the pile at the front door, he wasn’t even halfway done. Lee, and really anyone with a functioning brain, could tell that Louis had a huge crush on James. In fact, the only person who didn’t seem to recognize that fact was James. Lee pulled Louis into the hallway, out of earshot from the kids .

    “Hey Louis, you mind talking for a quick second.” He said warmly.

“Uhm, sure.” The boy responded, complying but obviously wanting to see James open his gifts instead.

“What’s up?” The younger man asked, a tad bit nervous.

“You uh...like James, don’t you?” Lee asked, already knowing the answer. Louis’s eyes widened for a split second and his freckled cheeks turn red.

“I-I mean, like, ye-uhm, y-yeah?” The boy sputtered out. Lee started chuckling at the boy’s nerves. It reminded him of when he had first met Samantha’s father. He was a big dude, and Lee had nearly bailed out when she invited him over for dinner with her parents. 

   “No need to be nervous. I don’t have any problem with you at all. In fact, you’re a lot like me when I was your age. I didn’t have too much money or status, but I see a lot of myself in you. And whenever James talks about you, or when I see you two sit together at Clem’s games, he looks happier than I’ve ever seen him, and all I want him to be is happy. He likes you too, you know?” Lee told him.

    Louis’s face lit up when he heard that. He had to deal with more than his fair share of gold diggers who didn’t have any actual interest in him. He felt sometimes that his money and status were a curse. No one cared enough to look past that. No one cares about  _ him _ . No one except James. Louis looked up at Lee.

“He  _ likes me? _ Wow, uhm, hm, that’s uh...yay!” Louis struggled to find the words to explain how he felt. Lee chuckled and looked into the living room, were James was opening yet another gift which contained a several hundred dollar coat. Lee patted Louis and the shoulder and handed him two movie tickets for later that night.

“Here, take these. You two go enjoy yourselves tomorrow, alright?” Lee said. Louis smiled and nodded.

“Yeah, we will. Thank you Mr. Everett.” He responded gratefully.

“Please, call me Lee.” Lee said, walking back into the living room. Louis looked at the two tickets in his hand and smiled. He was glad that Mr. Ev-...Lee was such a cool dad. His own father wasn’t the most helpful and supportive person in the world. He ran his slender fingers through his thick hair and joined Marlon and the Everetts in the living room. 

 

**3:38 PM**

 

    The near-infinite mound of gifts had finally all been opened. Countless designer accessories, stacks of rare posters and decorations, and heaps of personal mementos from Louis, all took up nearly the entirety of the living room. Clem’s mouth was agape as she stared at Louis, who shrugged his shoulders and smiled guiltily in response. James got up and from the couch and went over to Louis, who was leaning against the wall. Marlon decided to leave, leaving James a portrait of him that Minerva had drawn.

“So, did you like your gifts?” Louis asked him, legitimately nervous that James wouldn’t say yes.

“Like them? Louis, you bought me more gifts than I know what to do with. I-I...thank you...just...thank you.” James responded. He put a lock of his hair behind his ear and smiled at Louis, who grinned back at him.

“Glad to be of service then.” He said as he straightened his coat. Louis walked around the couch and rifled through one of the many piles of new clothes. 

“A-ha!” He said. He held up James’s new coat, which was the same as his own. He walked back to James and wrapped it around his shoulders. 

“Here, now we’re officially King James and King Louis.” Louis joked. Louis pulled the two tickets out of his pocket.

“Hey, you wanna go see a movie after dinner?” He asked. James looked down and noticed that the tickets were for Spider-Man and he perked up.

“Oh, s-sure. I’ve been wanting to see Spider-Verse.” He said. James’s fingers brushed against Louis’s as he took his ticket. His skin tingled for several moments afterward. Eventually, Lee grabbed his jacket and announced that they were leaving for dinner. The four of them piled into Lee’s SUV and drove to the restaurant.

 

**7:20 PM**

 

   Lee dropped off the two teen boys at the front of the theater, telling them to call him when they get out. It was chilly outside, and James could see his own breath coming out in little white puffs. Louis could hear James’s teeth chattering, and decided to place his arm around his shoulder. James looked up at Louis and smiled. The two of them walked up and gave their tickets to the blonde haired girl with bad posture at the ticket window, and walked into the theater together.

 

**9:58 PM**

 

    James and Louis walked out of the theater with their minds blown. They both were absolutely in love with the animation and the art style. The writing was hilarious, and Louis couldn’t get enough of Spider-Ham. James had really enjoyed the soundtrack, and found himself closing his eyes and getting lost in the moment during a few scenes. James shot off a quick text to Lee from his new phone, telling him they were outside. He put away his phone and turned his gaze to Louis, who was trying to warm his hands. His freckled nose was red from the cold, which James thought was adorable.

“You want to sit down?” James offered, gesturing to a bench on the side of the theater. Louis nodded and they took a seat right next to each other. 

“So, King James, how’s your sweet sixteen been so far?” Louis asked.

“Well, I think this was my favorite birthday I’ve ever had. I felt...nice today, and you’re the reason for most of it. The gifts, the movie...it was really good. I’d like to do this again sometime, with you.” James continued as Louis listened intently.

“It’s weird feeling to me. Dad and Clem are always really nice to me but you...you’re the only other person who’s ever made me feel like I’m a real person. Most people think I’m weird or that I’m a loser...I don’t blame them.” Louis’s brow furrowed when he heard the last part.

    “Hey! You’re not a loser or anything like that! All of those other people, they’re...they’re dumb. Don’t let them get you down, you are too cool and talented to let idiots bother you like that. To be honest, you and Clem are the two kindest and most talented people I know.” James put his head on Louis’s shoulder and looked up at him.

“You...really think that?” James asked.  “Yeah, I really do.” Louis smiled at him. James was dozing off on Louis’s shoulder until Lee pulled up to the theater. 

“Alright sleepyhead, time to go home.” Louis said as he stood up. The two boys climbed into the SUV and left.

 

**10:41 PM**

 

    Lee pulled into the driveway and the three of them got out. Louis closed the car door and issued a farewell.

“Alright King James, as lovely as today was, I’ve got to get home. So, I’ll see you tomorrow right?” James walked over to him and stood holding his own arm with the other.

“Uhm, yeah, thanks for the gifts and the movie and stuff, I really liked it.” James responded, sad that Louis was leaving. Louis took one step closer to James, now in his personal space.

“Don’t mention it. I-uhm...whew...uh.” Louis closed his eyes and took a deep breath, but before he could do what he planned to do, James had beaten him to it. 

    James stood up on his toes and kissed Louis. It was only five or ten seconds, but it felt like an eternity to the two boys. James finally pulled back and looked at Louis with wide eyes. Louis giggled, the sound of which warmed James from the chill of the night. Louis took the initiative and pulled James into a second, shorter kiss. They stood in the driveway, laughing and hugging each other for a few minutes. Eventually, Louis pulled back and walked back to his car. With one last wink and a smile, Louis drove away. James started slowly pacing up to the door, which suddenly opened. Clem ran at him and pulled him into a tight hug. 

“Sorry, I was watching from the window. I couldn’t help it.” She admitted.

“You two are so cute together.” James’s cheeks hurt from the enormous smile plastered on his face. Nevermind just birthdays, this was probably the greatest day he’s ever had in his life. 

“Thanks, Clem.” He said, his voice barely above a whisper. She finally let go from her hug and smiled at him.

“Happy Birthday, James.”

  
  


  
  
  


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End file.
